Deep Down
by Chirinah
Summary: No matter how annoying she is, deep down, all of us know how fucked up we'll all be without her. Maybe.


**Annabeth**

I've always hated Hera. Of course, she has never given me any reason not to. But I just always thought she was…bad. Evil, somehow. She was the cause of most of all our pains, although maybe there were other gods to blame. But she obviously topped my hate list. After all, she took Percy away from me. Even if it was for good reason, it still shattered me. I've never seen her as anything good. No. that was just not Hera in my head. For me, Hera was worse than Hades, and gods know how annoying Hades could be. I've never thought of her any other way.

I've never even thought of thinking about her any other way.

That changed though, that night.

I was walking around Olympus. I had just finished working on the renovations for the day. I was still mortal, after all, and I grew tired at certain points of the day. But that day, I wasn't particularly tired. In fact, I was feeling quite rejuvenated because of the ambrosia and nectar I have taken from the kitchens and I was admiring the beauty of the architecture and the art works when I heard that sound.

It was the most heartbreaking cry I've ever heard, and I've heard my fair share of devastating cries. I've been to the Land of the Dead and witnessed the punishment of the evil souls. I've been to war and listened to the sound of hearts breaking, bones crushing, and fleshes burning. I've seen and heard terrible things, but none of them compared to this.

I followed the sound to Hera's gardens. It was a highly restricted area, but since the war I knew that most of the mechanisms that repel trespassers weren't at all working. I was still working on that. But even so, I knew that if Hera saw me near her special place, she'd have my head and hang it for all of Olympus to see. And it would be justified.

But I was the daughter of Athena, it was in my nature to be inquisitive. Or so I'd like to think.

I peeked.

Three seconds in, I wished I didn't.

It made me frustrated thinking so, but she was beautiful, eerily so. I could totally see why she could be one of the most beautiful goddesses of all time. Her golden hair fell down her shoulders and back, reflecting the light of the moon back to my eyes. Her long white dress clung to her like a second skin and made her look like, well, the goddess she truly was. Her skin was pale as snow, with subtle hues of the gold that was the blood running through her veins. But her face was so…sorrowful. It was so desolate, so utterly wretched I felt tears form in my eyes just by looking at it. Her eyes were bright with tears, her lips parted to breathe, and sobs rack her back every now and then.

It was so…sad.

I can't even begin to imagine what would make a goddess cry like that. Or, maybe I can. Seeing as this is Hera we're talking about.

Her trembling hands clutched at her chest, as though meaning to claw in and pull her heart out. I couldn't imagine how she felt. I knew of love now, and I couldn't even begin to think of the how agonizing it would be if I were in her place. No, it was—it was too much. Just thinking of Percy with another woman, staring at her, smiling at her—it was torture.

And to think Hera had endured it for thousands of years.

I had always believed Hera to be vindictive. Most demigods do. After all, she had never shown anything except hatred to us half-bloods. It was almost as if it was her mission to eradicate our kind from the surface of the Earth. But thinking back, all those stories about her and Zeus and Zeus's brood, maybe she had a right to feel that way. Maybe…maybe…

Hera suddenly stopped crying and straightened herself. With one wave of hand she was back to being the cold, hard goddess I used to know. There was no sign of tears, no sign of devastation in her face. She was just…Hera.

In my mind, I still saw the broken woman that was her moments ago. But I know now she wasn't weak. She wasn't evil. In fact she was strong. She was the strongest woman I've ever known. Because enduring that kind of pain for thousands of years…

I felt my chest ache. Maybe, maybe she deserved to be Queen of Olympus after all.

Maybe deep down, I've always known this. Maybe everyone does.

I've wondered tons of times why no one has tried to strip her of her crown if she was so hated, by everyone. Olympian or otherwise, and I realize now that no one can.

Because deep down, deep, deep down, beneath all the hatred, everyone respected her.


End file.
